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All bus and SeaBus service was suspended in Metro Vancouver early Monday morning as transit supervisors began a two-day, full-scale strike.
CUPE 4500 leadership had announced last week the union’s plan to escalate its existing job action, saying TransLink’s Coast Mountain Bus Company hadn’t responded to the union’s latest offer.
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Mediated talks on the weekend have failed to produce a deal.
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The strike affects buses and SeaBus, but could expand to SkyTrain and other transit services.
Check back here for more updates throughout the day.
RELATED: Full-scale strike threatens Metro Vancouver bus, SeaBus service on Monday
Monday, Jan. 22 updates
SkyTrain service running on Monday, but could shut down if job action escalates
SkyTrain service appears to be running normally on Monday morning, but this could change if the transit strike escalates.
CUPE 4500, the union representing 180 transit supervisors, has filed an application with the B.C. Labour Relations Board seeking to picket SkyTrain stations and operations and maintenance centres.
If picket lines go up at SkyTrain stations, SkyTrain workers would not cross picket lines, said CUPE 7000 union president Tony Rebelo.
Rebelo told Postmedia a shutdown of SkyTrain on Monday is a “reality.” “We’re just preparing our members for the worst.”
Such a move would only happen if the Labour Relation Board gives CUPE 4500 permission to strike at SkyTrain stations, said CUPE 7000 in a notice Sunday to members.
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The union is asking its members to be prepared to report for work on Monday.
“This might change later in the day on Monday, but at this time we don’t know when that might happen,” it said.
Buses, SeaBus shuttered as Metro Vancouver transit strike underway Monday
Metro Vancouver residents who take the bus or SeaBus have to find alternative ways to get around on Monday as TransLink bus and SeaBus service have been cancelled after the union representing transit supervisors and Coast Mountain Bus Company failed to reach a last-minute deal.
Late Sunday night, TransLink announced cancellations of all bus and SeaBus routes beginning at 1 a.m. Monday.
CUPE 4500 has said members will be withdrawing services from Coast Mountain for 48 hours.
SkyTrain, West Coast Express and HANDYDART service are not expected to be impacted.
“At this time, CUPE Local 4500 can only legally picket bus and SeaBus,” said TransLink spokeswoman Tina Lovgreen.
But this could change as the union has filed an application with the B.C. Labour Relations Board on Sunday to expand job action, Postmedia has learned.
Send us photos and details of the transit-related mayhem you’re seeing across the region to vantips@postmedia.com.
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